Tatupu expects Cardinals to stay fairly grounded

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Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu has seen plenty of Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald over the years. He suspects the Cardinals will run the ball more on Sunday with rookie Max Hall at QB. (Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)

With veteran quarterback Kurt Warner retired and Matt Leinart released, the Arizona Cardinals are searching for their offensive identity with rookie quarterback Max Hall now running the show.

Lofa Tatupu

But Seahawks middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu has a pretty good idea what he’ll see coming at him Sunday at Qwest Field. That being, first and foremost, a full load of running backs Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells even though Seattle boasts the No. 2 run defense in the NFL.

Arizona hasn’t had a lot of success running the ball this year, ranking 29th in the league at just 87.4 yards per game as the 230-pound Wells has struggled to duplicate his rookie success after bruising his knee early in the season.

Tim Hightower has been starting at running back for the Cardinals, though Wells often gets more carries while Hightower is more of a receiving threat.

But here’s the difficulty for Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt. Seattle’s obvious weakness is its pass defense (30th in the NFL and cornerback Kelly Jennings likely out with a hamstring injury). And Arizona has the premier receiver in the NFL in Larry Fitzgerald, plus expects to have injured receivers Steve Breaston and Early Doucet back this week.

But with Hall making his first road start in the difficult din of Qwest Field, the Seahawks surely will throw all kinds of pressure at him and look to force mistakes. And the best way to counter that will be to either get the ball quickly out of Hall’s hands or run the ball to keep Seattle honest.

“With a young quarterback, especially with the heat they’ve seen us bring, I kind of anticipate them getting him on the edge and maybe out on some rollouts and quick completions to try to get his confidence going,” Tatupu said. “But I think they’re going to lean on their run game.

“I don’t think they care what our ranking is in the run defense. They’ve got two good backs and some big boys up front. They’re going to test it out, I guarantee it. That’s the kind of coach they’ve got. Whisenhunt isn’t afraid. He’ll go after your strengths. It’s going to be a fight.”

Former BYU quarterback Max Hall became the first rookie since Carolina’s Matt Moore in 2007 to start a game as an undrafted rookie free agent. (Denis Poroy/AP photo)

The Cardinals beat Seattle twice last year with Warner completing 61 of 79 passes for 616 yards and four touchdowns. Fitzgerald caught 20 passes for 173 yards in the two games.

But those are the old days for Arizona. Hall was 17 of 27 for 168 yards with no TDs and one interception in his initial start, that coming at home.

Now the youngster must deal with life on the road and Tatupu knows well the challenges of Qwest for a quarterback. He deals with the crowd noise himself, trying to call defensive signals over the 12th Man roar.

Tatupu says it’s easier for him on the road as well, where he can communicate better with his defensive mates.

But while he can empathise with opposing quarterbacks and says “It’s a stressful day for me, too,” at Qwest, he’s not about to give up the home-field edge.

“It’s very tough to audible and that’s what we bank on and enjoy,” Tatupu said. “Because when they get into one look, they pretty much have to stick with it. There’s not too many guys that can get to that second play and keep everybody in a rhythm, so that’s what the 12th Man does.”

Hall has little idea what’s coming at him, but that goes for the Seahawks with the former BYU quarterback as well. Tatupu notes there’s only one and a half games of film to watch of the youngster, but what he does see is that the Cardinals aren’t putting the full weight of their offense on him like they used to with Warner.

“I don’t think they’re putting the ball too much in his hands and asking him to go out and win it,” Tatupu said. “And with a young quarterback, you don’t want to put all that on his plate. That’s why special teams and defense are huge in all road games, just like last week. Our offense stole the show, but we tried to complement them. And you have to do that on the road. That’s what I think they’re going to do.”